Description
International Cybersecurity is a mostly gender-blind policy field, shaped predominantly by state-centric perspectives and definitions of cyber threats and interests that promped traditional security measures. They focus on safeguarding critical infrastructure and boosting military capabilities for potential cyber operations. However, this dominant focus overlooks not only human and feminist security but actively undermines it. Using insights from feminist security studies, this paper argues that gender is a critical category for understanding the violent dynamics that unfold within international cybersecurity policy. Specifically, I analyze how both dominant and alternative understandings of cybersecurity, particularly at the United Nations Open-Ended Working Group on Security of and in the Use of Information and Communications Technologies, are influenced by constructions of masculinities and femininities. I explore how these gendered narratives interact and shape policy outcomes, revealing how traditional gender norms define which interpretations of cybersecurity are considered „normal“, realistic, and feasible, while alternative, gender-sensitive approaches are often dismissed as unrealistic or naïve. This analysis contributes to a broader understanding of how gendered power dynamics inform international cybersecurity discourse and highlights the need for the development of more inclusive, human-centered approaches to cybersecurity approaches which align with the needs and realities of those most affected.
